A Reunion Across Worlds
by Infinite Number
Summary: A chance meeting in Askr brings Lugh and Nino together after so many years apart.


"M - mother!?"

Nino looked around.

"What!?" she yelped to the evening air.

"Mother! It _is_ you!"

She turned to see a young boy running towards her. She looked in the opposite direction but saw no one else in the grassy area outside Askr Castle, but surely he wasn't here for...

"Mother! I - I can't believe it!"

The boy came to a stop in front of her and gasped for breath with his hands on his knees. Nino just stared, hands frozen in the air from having raised them to protect herself.

"Uh...hello?"

The boy looked up and beamed, "Hi!" he replied.

_What's going on?_ she asked herself. Surely he didn't think _she_ was his mother - he was probably the same age as her!

"Er...hello," she repeated. The boy's face, which must have been waiting for a response, fell.

"You don't...recognise me? It's me! Lugh!"

"Um...no, I - I don't think so..." she gave him a quick scan. No, she certainly didn't know who he was. She'd seen him getting a tour of the castle recently and thus knew that he was a new arrival, but the two had never even spoken until right now.

"Really..?" he looked down and scratched his arm. "Um...your name _is_ Nino, isn't it?"

"Yes..." she nodded, but was it a smart thing to do?

Lugh took a sharp breath. "And you're a mage and fought with Lord Eliwood and Lord Hector, right?"

"Y - yes..." How did he know this? Was he really..?

"Then...then you _are_ my mother! Do you really not remember me? Did you lose your memories when you were Summoned here?"

"Uh...no, I don't think so..." she ran through her past in her head. Everything seemed to be intact...but on the other hand, how would she even know if she'd lost memories? But on the _other_ other hand, would she really forget something as big as having a child? Hey, wait a minute -

"But..." Lugh fell quiet.

"Um...don't you think I'm too young to have a son?"

He woke from his reverie and looked her up and down. "Oh...yeah. I guess you are a bit shorter than I remember..."

"Right! And even if I were your mother - " she froze. That was weird to say - "uhh...yeah, even if I were your mother" she continued, "how could I have one as old as you? You're almost taller than me!" She ran a flat hand between the tops of their heads to prove her point.

"Oh yeah..." Lugh flushed. "Sorry, everyone told me that people can come here from different points in time. I just...kinda forgot..." he chuckled with a strained look on his face. "But...you're definitely my mother. I guess you haven't had us yet, but you are!"

Aaaand they were back to square one. How could she be a mother? She didn't know anything about being one -

"Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine."

Nino had clutched her chest at the memory of the woman who had claimed to be her own mother. How could she have a son if that's the only reference she had? And besides...

"Are...are you sure you're okay? Your face is red. Do you have a fever?" he reached for her forehead and she recoiled.

"I'm fine!" Indulging him only made her face warmer.

...besides, who would even want to marry her, let alone, you know, have kids? A face swam in front of her mind's eye as she finished her thought and she shook it away.

"I'm sorry..." she shook her head again. "I...I don't think..." she took a deep breath. "Lugh, you seem like a wonderful person, but I don't think I could be your mother. In fact, I can't be your mother _because_ you're so wonderful. I could never raise someone like that. I'm..." she swallowed. "I would be a terrible role model."

"Don't say that!" she flinched at the volume of his voice "You're the best mother in the world! You're a great person and...and I don't know where we'd be without you!" he sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve. "Father told us that you thought that way, but it isn't true! You...you..." he took a few breaths and stepped back with his arms held out. "Look at me," he said at last. "Even if you're from a different time than me, do you honestly think we're strangers?" she opened her mouth but he cut her off "Please, just...take a good look at me and...and be honest with yourself, I guess." he winced at the weak end to his speech.

Nino took a deep breath. There was no way he was her son, but if she took a look as he said and explained why there was no way, he'd have to understand, right? So...she'd do him this favour - as someone who resembled his mother, if nothing else. Yes, that must be it. It tinged her cheeks pink to think it, but she must have looked similar enough for him to be confused and must have asked someone - Florina, perhaps - about her. But what was that about a father..?

_Focus, Nino!_ she slapped her cheeks. _Just focus on the task at hand!_

His clothes were simple, but they were unmistakably the cloth garments of a mage from Elibe, who seemed to have a simpler style than the other mages called to Askr. If she _were_ his mother, it was possible that he'd follow in her footsteps, but that would require her to be a good teacher and have any skill of her own instead of just being lucky as she always was. Unless he'd also inherited her ability to commune with - wait, inherit? No, no no no! She was just getting carried away by his emotions, she had to let him down gently!

Anyway! She focused on his face now. He had green hair, just like her - he even styled it kinda like hers too! But that was surely just a coincidence, right? But...now that she was looking closely...

She touched her own cheek.

His face really was quite familiar...

His eyes seemed to sparkle in the pale moonlight and thus hers were drawn upward.

She gasped.

"Are you okay?" his arms had been trembling for a while, but he only broke his pose now as rushed towards her.

"You...you have...you have my mother's eyes..." she cupped his cheek this time.

She only had a single picture of her birth family. In fact, it was one of the few possessions she'd retained when coming to Askr, possibly because - through a stroke of luck - it had been on her person when she was Summoned. One of the many things she'd grown to love about her family was how unique her mother's eyes were; even among others with green eyes, she'd never met anyone with the same shade besides herself. Of course, this could also be a coincidence - Lugh could have just so happened to inherit those eyes from another family she'd never met, something especially likely given he came from her world's future - but if he knew so much about her AND had a similar face AND had similar hair AND now her eyes..?

"Wha - what's happening?" she whispered.

"Mother..?" she could see his blurred figure step forward.

"..._yes_." she wheezed, blinking furiously. Her vision cleared just as she felt a wet sensation trickling down both cheeks and Lugh leapt into an embrace. She returned it with all her might as she gulped in the night air. "Yes...yes. I am, aren't I?"

"You...really don't remember?"

She shook her head, realised he may not see it with his head over her shoulder, and spoke aloud. "No...but - but don't worry. It just means I'll have you in the future, as you said." She swallowed to clear her throat and tried to smile, but settled for patting the back of his head instead. _That's something mothers do, isn't it?_

"...you really are..."

"What?"

"You always did that when I cried. You know, patting my head?"

Her breath caught in her chest. Really? She'd said she was his mother, but hearing that she'd just done something her future self did...

"Wow..."

Her face felt warm. "Do...do you like it?"

"Of course!" he gave her another squeeze and she patted him again. He giggled like a baby.

_He...he liked that? I - does that mean I...did something right?_

She'd just copied something she'd seen someone else do, so even if he liked it it didn't mean she was a good mother. But wait, if he liked it, did it matter whether she'd come up with it herself? And had she known he liked it when she did that, or was it just something she did sometimes and he just happened to like? And if that were the case, did she ever notice that he was happy when she did it? And if _that_ were the case, did she only do it TO make him happy, or to keep him quiet or as a reward for obedience, like letting him hold her hand after doing some mission -

"_Hmmmmmm!_" Lugh gave her yet another squeeze and sighed happily. "You know, Raigh always said he hated hugs, but then he'd start crying when you said you wouldn't give him any anymore," he chuckled.

"Raigh?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah!" Lugh pulled back with a wide smile. "I'm a twin! You have another son called Raigh. He looks almost just like me...though I guess that's obvious since he's my twin. Then again, I have heard of twins looking different or being different genders..." he trailed off, looking to the side. It was a strange sight, since they were still in a loose embrace, but -

_I...I have - no,_ had_ \- no, _will have_ \- twins?! That's...that's..._

Nino was too busy holding back a second bout of tears to care. But wait. A Raigh who looked like Lugh?

_Don't tell_ me...

Lugh shook his head and returned to himself. "He's here too! I guess it makes sense that you haven't seen him yet though, he always keeps to himself and he's always reading about this or that, so he rarely has time for other people - "

"He can read!?"

"Uh..." Lugh frowned. "Yeah...of - of course he can read. Why wouldn't he?"

She hoped it was too dark to see her blush now. "Um...d - don't worry about it, I guess I'm just being a bit emotional..." she tried to laugh it off. _That's another thing parents do, right? Be really weird and embarrassing about stuff?_ "So...I'm just asking here, but...who taught him - and you - to read?"

He cocked his head. "Uh...you did? Who else would?"

"I...did?" She could read a few words at a time now, but in the future she'd be able to read well enough to teach other people - no, teach _her children_ \- to read and, more importantly, she actually _taught_ them?

"Was I...a...good teacher?"

Lugh's frown broke into a gentle smile as he patted the hands on his shoulders. "You were the best," he said softly.

"And...and I _wanted_ to teach you, right? I...I wasn't grumpy or angry or - or bitter, or anything?"

"Not at all." _How was the son calmer than the mother?_ "You made learning so much fun! You kept coming up with silly jokes and rhymes to help us remember the grammar and you always gave us treats for doing really well...it was awesome!" she recoiled at the loudness of his voice again, but his eyes were shining so bright neither of them cared.

"Anyway!" he shook his head. "I think I know where Raigh'll be right now, so let's go! Time to meet your other son!" he grabbed her hand and pulled, but she stood her ground. He turned back, surprised. "Mother..?" His expression drove a knife through her heart, but...

"Is Raigh a Dark mage by any chance?"

"...yeah. How - how do you know that?"

"Oh...I met him a while ago, apparently he was one of the first Heroes here. He wears black robes with full sleeves, right?" That wasn't actually the problem, but -

"Yeah, so...oh!" his face brightened. "So you know about us then! ...but wait," he held his chin between his thumb and forefinger "then why were you so surprised when I saw you?" An idea dawned on him. "He was trying to keep you all to himself, was he? He can be a bit cold, but I guess he didn't want you to worry about me not being around. That's fine then," he nodded to himself. "I'll let him know we've talked things out then, let's - "

"Lugh!"

"- go - ahh!" he jumped. "Mother...what's wrong?"

"...I'm so sorry for shouting," she mumbled.

"It's okay, what is it?"

She still felt bad, but Nino called up her memory of Raigh again. ...yes, he was Lugh's height and had the same green hair. Raigh was always scowling, but she was sure he'd look like Lugh if he smiled too, now that she thought hard about it. Also, while she had never checked his eye colour, he was yet another mage and Lugh seemed to know him, so her first thought that there were two people who just happened to have the same name was dashed. Then...

"Like I said, I talked to him and I even told him my name, but I don't think he knew me. Maybe he doesn't remember me?"

"What?" Lugh frowned. "But that's...he recognised me right away! And...and we even talked about you and Father last night! Are you sure he didn't recognise you?"

"Yes," she nodded. "He just said he 'Didn't have time for friends' and went back to his room." she mirrored Lugh's - no, her _son_'s - pose now. It was a strange notion, but she was just as concerned about Raigh - her _other_ son - as he was now. It was all so much to take in so soon...wait.

"Does..." she swallowed "does Raigh..." her voice quivered "hate...me?"

"No!" he boomed. "He loves you! Just as much as I do!" he slammed a palm into his chest. "He even said he missed you last night, so why would he pretend..." he looked up and, in a flash, his confused expression turned to rage. "Mom, come on!" He broke into a run towards the castle.

"What?" she was frozen to the spot, hands still floating in the air after she raised her head. "Lugh!" She whimpered, but clenched her fists to compose herself and ran through the cold Askran night after her newfound son.

* * *

"Raigh!"

Lugh shoved the barrack door open with strength belying his small frame. The Dark mage had been reading a book in his bed, and jumped at the sudden sounds. His eyes widened further as Nino followed the first boy in, then his face settled into the cool and composed look she was so familiar with.

"Yes?" his voice was calm too.

"Don't _yes_ me!" Lugh strode forward and thrust a finger into his twin's chest. "You knew Mother was here all along, didn't you?"

Raigh looked at the confused Nino for a moment. "Did I?"

"Don't play dumb!"

He turned back to Lugh. "I didn't know who she was."

"You must have! You're the smart one! If I recognised her, there's no way you didn't too! But apparently you just told her to get lost!"

"He didn't say that..." Nino mumbled, but neither boy heard her.

Raigh looked back and forth between the two intruders and seemed to be thinking. He pushed Lugh's hand away. "...and what if I did?"

The other boy stared at him, mouth opening and closing with no words coming out. "What do you mean 'And what if I did'?" he spluttered. "That's our mother!"

"No, she's not."

Lugh gaped again. "Not _yet_, but she will be! That's still our mother! She's lived through the same things ours did and she's still kind and hugs just like ours did too, so yes, she _is_ our mother!"

Raigh snorted and turned his head "If she didn't give birth to us, I'm not interested."

"Liar!" Lugh looked at Nino "He's lying, I promise!" he looked back "Raigh, weren't you telling me you'd do anything to see her and Father again? It hasn't even been a day yet, so tell the truth!"

Raigh stayed silent and continued staring at the wall. Lugh sniffed and, tears falling from his eyes, punched him.

"Lugh, no!" Nino ran forward, but froze when -

"Do you just want to tell her _everything_, then!?"

Raigh looked his brother in the eyes, a red patch spreading on his cheek.

"...what?"

"Sure, she was a great mom, but that was only when she was around, wasn't it?" Seeing his brother frozen in place, mouth half open, Raigh continued. "Or what, are you just gonna pretend everything was sunshine and rainbows and not tell her the whole truth? That's worse than telling her nothing, don't you think?"

"...Lugh?" Nino stepped forward and reached out, but couldn't bring herself to place her hand on his shoulder. "What...what is he talking about?"

"...nothing! I - I told you Raigh is grumpy all the time, right? He's just being cranky."

"_Just being cranky_?" Raigh spat. "Are you honestly saying you're not mad too?"

"No, of course not!"

"Not even a little bit?"

"No!"

"Lugh? Raigh? What's going on?" she heard her voice go higher and felt a strange weight pushing down on her shoulders.

"So he didn't tell you anything? Of course he didn't!"

"Raigh, stop!"

"What's wrong? You can tell her she hugs the same way our mom did but not that we grew up in an orphanage?"

* * *

"Wh - what..?"

Nino backed away and Lugh's arms slumped to his sides. Raigh pushed his brother off of him and straightened his robes.

"Clearly not," he scowled. "You never see the whole picture, Lugh, never. You're just too soft."

"Raigh..."

"Am I wrong?"

"Wh - what's going on here?" Nino stepped forward but the aura emanating from the boys was too heavy for her to intervene.

"You fool!" Raigh continued. "Don't you think I would have told her" he pointed to the girl without looking at her "as soon as I saw her if I could? Don't you think I - I - I care about her? But as soon as you tell someone something they'll want to know the whole story, and how do you think she'd feel if I told her what happened afterwards? I couldn't do that to her!" His eyes were red now. "I couldn't do that to my...to my mom..!"

Lugh opened and closed his mouth without speaking. "_What_ happened afterwards?" Nino squeaked, seizing the opportunity.

Raigh folded his arms and looked away. "This is all your fault, so you tell her." he mumbled over his shoulder.

"That's not...well, I guess it is..." Lugh took a deep breath. "Okay Mother, what happened was..."

He told her how one day their father had come in completely flustered, how Raigh and Lugh - still too young to understand what was happening - stayed up at night listening to the muffled sounds of their parents talking. How one day their father never came home and Nino tried to raise them herself but was never quite the cheerful mother she had once been. How, one morning, she told them they would be moving. Nino's face fell further and further as Lugh told her how she took her little boys to a strange, large building and begged the owner to let them stay, telling her sons she'd be back as soon as she found their father. And how they'd waited and waited and waited...without seeing or hearing from her again.

A sob escaped Nino's throat and she crumpled onto her knees.

"Mom!" Both boys jumped to her side.

"It's okay, Mother! We know it wasn't your fault!"

"Yeah!" Raigh was more animated than Lugh had ever seen him since joining the orphanage. "We learned a lot there and made a ton of friends and we've seen all sorts of amazing things since! Everything turned out okay in the end!"

Nino choked on her own sobs for a while. "But...but..." she swallowed. "I'm so sorry!" The well burst and she wailed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm so so _so_ sorry! I...I can't imagine what it would have been like for you, waiting all those years...I'm so sorry..."

"Mom, we told you it's okay - "

"It's not!" she took a deep breath, but the tears kept coming. "All this time, I've been telling myself that - that I had to be a better mom than mine was," she swallowed again. "That...if I could do anything, that was what I wanted. I kept telling myself that if I ever had a family, I'd be the best mom I could be...and yet...and _yet_..!"

"Mom..." the boys looked at each other.

"Raigh was right," Lugh sighed. "I shouldn't have said anything. I'm so sorry, Mother. This is all my fault. I should have kept my distance, but I was just so happy to see you again that I didn't think, I - "

Nino cut him off again, but this time by wrapping both of them into a hug. "Please don't apologise," she sniffed. "You don't know how happy I was to hear I was your mother...you're both really clever and - and kind in your own ways...I'm just so sorry..."

The boys returned her embrace.

"You are our mom," started Raigh, "but...you're not the same mom we grew up with, you know?" He ignored the quiet "_Raigh!_" hissed by his brother and continued. "So...you really don't have anything to apologise for. We know how important dad is to you too, so...please don't cry?"

Lugh had never heard his brother sound so meek before and saw the Dark Child's cheeks burn bright red to match his new tone. Nino was silent, save for some more quiet sobs.

"I'm...so sorry," she murmured at last.

"We love you, Mother." he tightened his grip around her.

"Yeah," echoed Raigh, doing the same.

"I...I love you too," Nino squeezed both of them closer to her. "Um..." she pecked both of their foreheads, "is it alright that I did that?"

"Of course!" snapped the Dark Child. Lugh could only nod into her back, the kiss having transported him to a past he'd long thought forgotten. They were bigger and she was smaller than before, yet the feeling of her lips on his skin felt exactly the same as it did back then.

"It's...perfect, mom..." he mumbled. "It really is. We love you..."

* * *

The trio stayed on the ground for quite some time, all of them sniffling, sobbing and chuckling in equal measure. _When we get up,_ Lugh thought to himself, _let's get something sweet. I wonder if Mother still likes the same things now that she did back then?_

_Oh, but..._ he tightened his grip and felt his mother do the same,_ I think we can keep this hug going just a while longer. We can, right?  
_

* * *

**A/N:** Would you believe I had most of this written out for Mother's Day (hence the title)? Then work happened. Sorry if the second half feels a bit scattered as a result!

Anyway, I hope you like this! Please let me know what you thought of this story with a review - and go tell someone you know you care about them!


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